MP to ask about protecting residents when town councils fail in corporate governance

Protecting residents' interests when town councils fail to observe good corporate governance and responsible accounting practices is one issue to be raised at Monday's Parliament sitting. -- ST FILE PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

By Goh Chin Lian

Protecting residents' interests when town councils fail to observe good corporate governance and responsible accounting practices is one issue to be raised at Monday's Parliament sitting.

Member of Parliament Alvin Yeo (Chua Chu Kang) is asking the Minister of National Development about measures available to the ministry to protect residents in such cases.

This comes after Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam last week directed the Auditor-General to audit the accounts of a town council run by the Workers' Party.

His directive was in response to the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council's auditors identifying 13 items as issues of concern, which led them to give a disclaimer of opinion on its FY2012/13 financial statements.